Sealing strip and guide for slidable closures



Aug. 9, 1949. EASTMAN r 2,478,470

SEALING STRIP AND GUIDE FOR SLIDABLE CLOSURES Filed June 25, 1946 3 RosAMwvoR14srMA INVENTORS.

Patented Aug. 9, 1949 CLOSURES Robert A. Eastman and Rosamond R. Eastman,

' Balboa Island, Calif.

' Application-June 25,1946, Serial No. 679,148

This invention relates to containers, and particularly to containers for household use.

It is a fact that many household commodities such as flour, sugar, or other commodities, are contaminated and rendered useless by the intrusion of insects such as ants, into the container in which they are held. This amounts to a considerable loss to householders annually.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide means for effecting the sealing of the cover of such acontainer, so as to render the same insect-proof. v

Another object of the invention is to provide simple means for enabling an ordinary container body of box-form, to be transformed into an in sect-proof container.

In the practice of the invention, we prefer to provide a lid guide which we attach to the upper edge of the walls at thebox opening, and in the preferred embodiment of this invention, this rectangular lidgulde includes side bars and a transverse end bar at one end; and these three bars are provided with grooves on their inner edges, to engage and seal the edge of the lid which is slid into the guide from its outer end. One of ency to detract from perfection of the seal at the side edgesof the lid in the vicinity of this outer transverse bar which, of course, is located at the point where the lid enters the guide.

A further object of the invention is to give the side and the end portions of the lid guide a cross-section which facilitates effecting the attachment to the walls of the container, and which, at the same time, will provide means for resisting tendencies of the lid to unduly distort the proper cross-section of the sides of the lid guide. r 7

Further objects of theinvention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in, the novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an'eflicient insect proof container.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of a container of common box-form, and illustrating our lid guide applied to the same, but without the lid being in; place.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken through the upper portion of the container illustrated in Fig. 1, and showing the lid in place- The lid is shown in section. a

2 Claims. (01. 220-41) Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section through a container of the type illustrated in Fig. 1, but of Slightly narrower width, the lower portion of this view being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section upon an enlarged scale, illustrating in detail the preferred form of the cross-section for the side bars of the body that cooperates with the lid of the container to effect the insect-tight seal.

Referring more particularly to the parts, it should be understood that this improvement can be applied-to a container having any form, butin the present instance, the invention is illustrated as applied to a common box-form container having a body I, presenting vertical side walls 2 and vertical end walls 3 whichextend up in the usual manner from its bottom 4. This body I may be composed of any material having sufiicient rig.- idity to enable it to operate as a proper container for commodities such as mentioned above. Many such containers are-constructed of wood, metal, plastic, or other material.

In applying our invention to a container-having a body such as illustrated, we provide a lid guide 5 of rectangular form and of the same size as. the box in horizontal cross-section. This lid guide is formed of a yielding or cushion-like material such as rubber; or similar material. The material, however, out of which it is formed,

- should be sufliciently hard to maintain itsform,

at least as regardsits shape in'cross-section. p This lid guide comprises two side bars 6 and an inner end bar I, and these bars are formedin one piece, and are also integrally connected by an outer end bar 8. The side bars 6 are formed on their inner edges with longitudinally disposed grooves 9 which operate to receive the side edges of a lid H], which lid is slid into the guide from its left end, as viewed in Fig. 2. The inner bar 1 has a similar groove II which receives the inner edge of the lid l0 when it is shoved home. 4

The outer end bar 8 is preferably located entirely below the level of the grooves 9 and H, so that it engages only the under side of the lid I0. At this point we dispense with any attempt to form a seal on the upper side of the lid, because we wish to avoid the use of any material forming part of the guide, that would rest on the upper part of the lid. This is for the reason that if such a cross-bar, or section of a cross-bar rested upon the upper side of the lid as the lid is being forced into position, there would be a tend-' ency for the lid to pull this bar forward with the lid, and this would exert a tension on the forward ends 6a of the side bars, having the effect of tightening the same on the side edges of the lid which would, of course, interfere with the free inward movement of the lid. We avoid this difficulty by providing a cross-section for the outer and bar 8, that will insure the effect of a tight sure and forms an eifective seal on its contact line or zone [2, where it engagegnie unu'rsiue" of the lid. The grooves 9 and H, of course, are" formed so that they are sufficientlysmall in cross-section, to insure that't'hey willfi't-closely to the edges of the lid and form effective seals on their contact lines, or contactzo'ris there with. This lid guide may be secured to the upper edge of the container by any suitable means, but We prefer to secure it by means of a film l3 of adhesive, cement, or other suitable material.

order tb rein-force' the lid guide, we prefer to prbviae the inner edges" of the'hars that form its perimeter, with downwardly projecting flanges' wh'ieh flang'es may taper" on their inner'sides to 'ane d ge l5, if desired. Whensecuring the lid place by means of the adhesive film l3, we prefer to apply this fi'lm so 'that'it" unites the peripheral faces I6 ofth e'se flanges [4, to the innier faces o'f wens" of the container. These f anges nmate as an effective anchorage for the side bars, and evidently give considerable resistan e to expanding force exerted by the lid w enit s ushed into place. Furthermore, bytaperin'g thesjef flanges to their" edges" Hi, we ayoiq fanning any ohs truc'tion or shoulder to in terfe're the free removal of parts of the ty from theintrior' of the container; -'m ant mepreferred cross se'd- V tars-efthi lid guide. This impr' veni'eht-consis'ts in molding the material so that these fl nges l4 incline trimaran samewnat; as difeasoni of this inoliria io'ri, when inner" faces of th' flanges are applied to the races of the cbmaifier wens; they endear: a f; to hug tightly to" the fae'of the wall urthermo e; y r'asonof their tingidispia 'e'd in ardly' when the guide seminar to theb'bx wal here is a'tna fie for thefii to move" up: Wardly the material at' the point IT. This'Q-ofridsltd pfing'piressure at a eut the point asiappl fe'd tdthe entire upper openin of an open 2 ticxgitisf envious that if desired in some t pes of containers; it may be' made of smaller area; new the 'hor or'ita'l" cross-section of'th'e" 66ntainer so that 'itwould operate merely to open a small Outlet from the"boX.-

Although the container illustrated-is of'rec tatn'gula'r form, it' should be understood that \i/lire-Ver the word rectangular is used in this spepificatiorffor claims, it is intended to'apply 4 equally to a container which is of square form in plan.

Many other embodimentsqor the invention may be r'esrtedto withoutdeparti'ng' ffdm the spirit of the invention.

a We claim as our invention:

i. In a combined sealing strip and guide for attaching 'a sli'ding closure to the open end of a four Wall container, said strip having a continuous flat shoulder for-engaging the upper edge of the container walls, with a depending flange for sealing engagement with the inner upper marginal'dge of'the container Walls, said strip also having-"an inwardly facing slot extending along for ehgagjing the-upper" edge'of cdntainer wallsy and hailing adependifi'g flange extending drawn into the" in'teriorof the container at all four sides of the same; said strip als e' inwardly facing slot exte 'ng along?" three sides o'f are same and heate in a plane above and partially overlying said flat shoulder, said strip including a 'trarisiferseefid barito" ore'rliegth e upperiedge'pfthe wall Qf'the o tamer the side" where th s idin closure is mtrddu d ,;t'l 1 e"ul 'r face f said tran eis'e' r'i'qibar be ng lblate'djri a planimmediately slo't to pres's' firmly 'efsa'id sliding assure the sai depending face rormm an acute or said commutes flat Siam-11;-

era'l' face to exert a' seal e .7 mega having periphlal angl'ewit aim applied theretd;

die container when the strip is ROBERT K1 EAST AN; I HOSANIONID R1 EASTMAN;

REFERENCES CITED Tfielfollowirig references are offlredord in the me or this patemz' 7 STATES "PATE'NTS 

